WhimSea's Log

Posted by Karen A. Brown

It is the beginning of our vacation. We have about a week and a half to fill and haven’t yet determined our course of action. We’ve been contemplating a visit to Canada’s wilderness, a run to Sault St. Marie or a trip to the Big Island, Isle Royale. Unfortunately, we hadn’t found out about the wilderness border pass for Canada so we would need to clear customs first. We figured that we’d wind it and decide our destination along the way.

On Friday, the first day of the trip, we treated ourselves to breakfast at Judy’s before heading out. After taking on water and fuel and getting a pump out, we left the marina about 1:15 in the afternoon and pointed towards the Apostle Islands. With very little wind, and what there was coming on our bow, we ended up motoring the whole way to York Island. We set down the hook without incident and in time for anchor lights’ to come on and settled down for a nice light dinner and to watch the sun set. Tomorrow we would make our way to Isle Royale.

Saturday, July 1st – Saturday morning and we definitely had wind for our run. Under the main alone, with a double reef, we were doing 7.5 knots and reached 8, 8.25 as well. In the lee of Devils we pulled out the genny to 100% to provide some additional balance and speed. The weather guy called it a small craft advisory so we left it reefed for a while, at least until we left the influence of the islands. Because of the frequent shoaling in the islands, the water tends to pile up as it hits those reefs, creating large rolling waves. It was during one of the rollers that I was unseated and sent across the cockpit. Troy too was unseated when I took a trick at the helm and he attempted a quick nap. I dumped him rather neatly onto the cockpit floor.

We were doing very well with this crossing and quite pleased with our speed, for the most part. Eventually, however, the wind began to slacken and we shook out the reef and unrolled the genny until we had all sail flying. We would, of course, eventually lose our wind entirely and ended up motoring for much of the last 25 miles.

When we started up the diesel, we also began to see clouds forming on the horizon. Hoping they were running up the Canadian coast. We kept a watchful eye on their progress. At 10 miles out it was relatively clear that we would be unable to avoid the weather that was heading our way. The real question was how bad it would be. As this coincided with nightfall, it was difficult to gauge how much of the darkness was natural and how much wasn’t. The lightning strikes, however, were not difficult to see. We decided to press on though, as we had no experience with Grand Marais and were not comfortable anchoring there at night.

So we pressed on towards the Rock of Ages light which was now beckoning us towards it and the shoals she announces. Six miles from the light the front hit us and immediately the wind whipped around and laid us at a 10-15 degree heel. We were very grateful we hadn’t any sail present at the time. Troy was at the helm and immediately put us about in front of the wind. We believed we could run with it until it blew past us and we were right. We lost a few miles, but could eventually come back on course and headed towards the light once again.

Traversing Washington Harbor and the entrance to it at night was not an easy task. Troy took advantage of our electronics to use radar, GPS and depth to determine our course. The moon we had earlier was only a little over a quarter moon and it had set, after turning amazing colors of yellow and orange, some time ago. I should have also mentioned the amazing sunset. It was a ball of perfect red that hung among the golden colored heat from the land. It was spectacular.

Getting back to our entrance, it was very late, around 1:00 a.m. We had no light from the moon or stars to guide us and the smell of pine all around, reminded us just how close to land we were.

We entered Washington Harbor by passing south of Beaver Island. In retrospect, it would have been far less scary to take the North Channel as the southern one shoals up so concerningly.

We checked the dock for openings, and finding none due to a powerboat at the end of one side, and the need to leave the other side vacant for the Wenonah, we decided to anchor.

Out first attempt at gaining purchase was unsuccessful. The bottom here is very mucky given Washington River dumps into the bay and all the sediment from the harbor is blown into it as well. So, while we weren’t surprised, I must admit to serious disappointment. We were cold and tired and wasted a rest. We made our second attempt farther away from the Ranger station and lucky for us, it was successful.

Sunday, July 2nd – A beautiful day! We slept a bit late, but given out late arrival that isn’t surprising. We packed up our towels and shower supplies, discussed our plans and rowed ashore.

Due to our anchorage, it was a long pull to the ranger station. There we got checked in and provided a tentative itinerary. We had decided to stay on the island rather then head to Canada, primarily because of the large amount of alcohol we had on board and the duty we’d have to pay as a result.

Given the long passage, a day of rest was exactly what we required. We stayed ashore long enough for a sandwich and a shower and to talk with some of the other visitors to the island. I met a lady who calls Isle Royale her home. She says she was raised here, the daughter of a fisherman out of Chippewa Harbor and asked if I’d been there and seen the moose. A nice lady.

While we were checking in, the ranger who did so was walking us through the procedures: quiet time starts at 9:00, no running your gen-set after that, no grey water within a certain perimeter of the island and no looting or pillaging within 4.5 miles. Just like that, he slipped it in so well, both Troy and I skipped a beat before breaking out in laughter. Since WhimSea’s pirate flag was not flying it must have been my hat. But how well he timed it!

After our showers and visiting, we undertook the long pull back to the boat. The wind had kicked up while we were on shore and it was an even harder pull for Troy against waves and wind both. But we made it back without issue and set about relaxing. A little nap and some bird watching, as well as the moose show during dinner were fabulous.

This area of Washington Harbor can be very shallow, as little as three feet, a considerable way out. Because of its shoal depth and the river that feeds it, it’s clearly a popular location for the local wildlife. We saw numerous merganser families, seagulls, cormorants and loons. Also providing a show was an osprey that spent time fishing in the shoals. Its amazing the way he would hover above the water, drop down, hover more and either make his attempt or continue his sweep of the area. I saw two complete dives into the water for fish and numerous fly-by’s, hovers and swoops.

We were also treated with the sight of two moose eating dinner. Though one of them returned to the woods after a short feeding, the other skipped and frolicked in the water before eventually settling down and eating. During times he was so submerged that only his shoulder haunches were above water. Then he would lift his head and snort the water out of his nose before submerging once again. For a while a loon followed him about, hoping his feet and head would stir up the fish hiding in the shallows.

After dinner and the wildlife show, from the ranger station came the sound of two violins playing in wonderful complement to the birds calling, the moose snorting and the wind just rustling the flags and trees. It’s amazing how well the sound fit with the nature that surrounded it.

Monday, July 3rd – By 8:00-8:30 we had up’d anchored and are on our way to the next anchorage. At first, Troy had some difficulty winning the anchor and we feared a repetition of our last visit here. But with a good heave, accompanied by a decent grunt, she broke free, bringing with her the mud that had suctioned her to.

We were able to get some sailing in before the flukey winds deserted us and we resorted to the diesel, and we decided to pass by our planned anchorage on Wright Island. We ended up anchoring at the far side of the second of Chippewa’s basins. Lucky for us we are here with no human company, just the myriad of bird calls and the sound of the breeze in the rigging.

The wind has come around entirely since we anchored. Bonnie’s book assures us of an unobstructed bottom and we have plenty of swing room, but still it’s concerning. We’ve gone around and forth enough times now to cause considerable concern. But the wind should decrease with the falling darkness (I hope) and we can only hope it picks one direction and sticks with it.

Tuesday, July 4th – We awoke to another beautiful day. Though we were worried about our ability to win the anchor, we needn’t have because Troy brought her right up. Afterward we motored out of Chippewa Harbor and into the full lake. We had great wind for a run up the island to the Rock Harbor Marina. We raised sail and headed that way. The wind was such that we made it to the Middle Island Passage in the blink of an eye, so naturally we kept going!

We pressed on for the Smithwick Channel and came through about a ½ hour after the Isle Royale Queen. This channel is between two islands where the depth of water runs from like 70 miles to 2. It’s really just a narrow gap in the stone walls between the islands. Kind of amazing really.

But we arrived at the marina without a problem – well mostly no problem, there was the guy who disembarked the Queen with his canoe and then proceeded straight towards us. Sheesh.

We fueled up, got a pump out and a dock for the evening. We also met Bob, a Texan who’s an older gentlemen working at the rest for the summer. He’s got a fascination for sailboats and we spent some time talking with him and his cohort – whose name escapes me. I want to say his name was Dave, but the marina has resulted in me believing everyone’s name is Dave who I can’t remember. Maybe I should call him not-Bob. Bob and not-Bob were great guys. We visited with them a few times during our stay. At some point, Bob started offering us “bids” for WhimSea. He always included a ride back to the mainland, of course.

Also while we were getting things situated at the dock, Troy fell into conversation with some hikers. They asked things like what we did on the boat. Did we ever go hiking or were we just “boat people”. I think it was likely this conversation that prompted Troy to want to take a hike.

We decided to take the path on the way to Scoville Point, we passed amazing flora and fauna on this hike. Troy also found what looked like rock carvings along the way. They appeared to be a cross or some type of carving like that. We meant to bring the camera with us and were pretty irritated that we forgot. We also saw a rabbit, trees, and mushrooms, excellent views of both the lake and of Tobin Harbor. There were also small excavations – left over mines as well as one large mine pit that had also caved in. This area was famously mined of Copper not that long ago.

In addition to forgetting the camera we also forgot the bug screen. So, by the time we made it back to civilization we were pretty hot and rather bit up by the mosquitoes. So we had a good shower and headed to the restaurant for a good dinner of walleye.

We arrived pretty early for dinner hour – first ones at the restaurant -- so we had our pick of tables. We ended up with a most excellent view of the lake and WhimSea and of the moose that walked around the building and right past the front window. Unbelievable, the restaurant very nearly cleared out entirely when the moose walked by. I too have to admit my amazement at the sight. We’ve been seeing the moose from a distance in Washington Harbor and this was a heck of a lot closer. You got a real sense of its immensity. It’s size.

After dinner we popped the cork on some wine – well, too much wine, and watched the mergansers in the bay. Earlier in the day one of the staff told us about canoe races between the employees that were scheduled for that night, we invited some campers aboard to watch with us and share the wine. The Ranger had come in earlier in the day and the campers were to take it home the next day.

Since it was the fourth of July, we celebrated a bit with too much wine and some interesting conversation. And every one who took a walk to the head was escorted back by a camp fox. They walked along side of us like dogs. It was really wild.

Wednesday, July 5th – Well, I had a very relaxing day, but Troy didn’t have as great a start. He tasted far more of the wine then I did so we really shouldn’t be surprised. As a result, we spent another evening at the marina. The day was very relaxing. We went for a walk around the marina that night, hoping for a closer view (and maybe some photos) of the family of otters that are said to live in the bay. We did get some good photos of flowers and some of the ducks. Though I snapped some of the one otter that came out to play, I fear it looks like a bit of wood floating about in the water.

Thursday, July 6th – The plan for today is to head to the dock at Daisy Farm and pull across to the Edsen Fishery, then walk to the abandoned lighthouse. This elaborate plan is because no one seems to know the depth of the water at the dock at the fishery. We asked everyone and some of the Rangers even called to the folks at the interpretive center but no luck. It’s too bad since it will be a long pull across for Troy.

But, we were thwarted. After motoring all the way down we found the dock occupied by another sailboat, which didn’t even have the decency to tie up at the one end or the other. With the wind as it was, we decided against it and instead came about, hauled sails and proceeded to sail back down the harbor past the lodge.

The wind was somewhat gusty and began to fade, but we held out and managed to sail all the way through the exit between Edward and South Government Islands.

We rounded the Island past Blake Point and saw the Passage Island light from a distance. We dropped the sails when the wind became contrary and we motored past the many long fingered bays that make up this area. From this area you can sort of see the rock formations and how this area is part of Keweenaw. It makes you wonder how it looked so many years ago. It couldn’t have been so very different. It still feels so very wild.

We headed towards Amygdaloid Island and a small cove in the eastern end. There’s an abandoned fishery here and what a beautiful place they had! But also the isolation. The insularity of the community and ultimately the peace. These channels would be so great to explore. There are lots of rocks that appear out of the water as a surprise. What’s not is the number of shipwrecks in the area.

We found the cove we planned to anchor in to be too small for us to be comfortable, so we pressed on to the next option, McCargoe Cove.

We anchored there, in the first bay. There was deep water and plenty of room to swing. We enjoyed the solitude and spent considerable time “playing” with the instruments we brought along with us, tin whistles, guitar and violin. It was amazing how well the melodies mixed with the surrounding birdsong.

Unfortunately, we were chased below by a swarm of extremely hungry and rather persistent mosquitoes. They were so persistent that we spent considerable time frantically searching for every available hole in the screens or entries into the boat to plug it. Troy didn’t go topside again for the rest of the night.

Friday, July 7th – We intend to push on to Washington Harbor today, with dirty weather heading our way, we thought it best to get around to Washington and put ourselves in a good position to head home.

The wind was from the southwest, not good for a sail, unless of course we want to go to Canada first. So, we decided to motor for a while. The winds are picking up, as are the waves. Tomorrow also promises to be southwest, so we decided to put in at Todd Harbor instead, get up early the next morning when the wind has been dampened by night and try for Washington the next day.

We put in at Florence Bay, which is the first bay on the western side of the harbor. It is absolutely beautiful. It’s wide with swinging room and actually is not as deep as every other bay, only about 13 feet. It hasn’t a swamp as close as in McCargoe so we had no mosquito issues like the night previous.

The winds picked up throughout the day making us quite glad that we didn’t insist on pushing on. We kicked back and relaxed for the rest of the day. Reading, resting, snacking. Watching the ducks and the birds and even an eagle as it tried to make its way to the southwest, against the wind. It eventually gave up and apparently decided to wait out the weather as well.

Saturday, July 8th – We’re awake at dawn. The wind is down some though it’s still not great. We certainly can’t sail. We felt it best, however, to go forward to Washington while we could, before the win comes up even stronger.

After a short time, the wind built the sea into some large rollers and continued to gust against us, forcing our speed down dramatically with every gust. Additionally, we were hit with rain squalls. Though the rain occasionally killed the wind. It didn’t change the rollers.

Looking at the terrain it’s amazing the difference between this part of the island and others. Here there are cliffs that are stark, inhospitable rock. Few beaches and places to land.

We rounded the point near Thompson Island and passed close to the America in the fog. This is the closest we’ve ever gotten to the America wreck and the closest we ever want to get.

We motored up the harbor towards Beaver Island and were very dismayed to see a number of large powerboats anchored in the bay. We were so hoping for space at the dock.

We arrived as the Voyageur 2 left and rounded the island for a view of the ranger station and were very relieved to discover the dock quite open. Apparently they had a barge coming in later in the day and only one side was available for docking. Since that wasn’t enough room for the whole group of power boaters, they anchored out. Good luck for us I guess.

We had a rather cold shower and visited with the rangers for a while. The wind was still quite gusty and a powerboat coming in had some difficulty with making the fuel dock and the main dock as well. They sustained some damage at the fuel dock, breaking a window and losing a fender (briefly). But with Troy’s and the rangers’ help, they made it to the transient dock after only three or four attempts.

Saturday evening we went to a talk on the connection between Moose and Wolves on the island. Their inter-dependency. I can’t believe some jerky dog owner brought their dog to the island and contaminated the wolf population and nearly decimated it. It’s amazing how many people believe themselves above the rules. It was an extremely interesting talk.

After we returned to the boat, Troy saw an otter fishing off the boat. Very close to the boat – fishing no doubt for the herring in the bay.

We met more campers and visited with them for a while. They were just beginning their journey having arrived on a pane that day. Oh how I envied them in starting out their journey.

Sunday, July 8th – We’re up at dawn (again). The wind is down some from the previous day and it made the promised shift to the north, which should give us considerably better wind. We made coffee and were treated with another moose and her calf comign down to feed. The little one is awfully cute, skipping and playing in the water.

Since the wind was now pushing us against the dock (and it was a small craft advisory). Troy did a smooth reverse U turn and pulled us from the dock as pretty as you please.

We left Washington Harbor in the rain with light fog. We had a reef in the main which pooled full of water. There’s plenty of white caps and wind around 25-30 knots. We were able to take a path down to the islands without too much tacking. By the time we reached the islands, the waves were very high and the radio was frequented by Coast Guard calls.

The waves were around eight feet by then and Troy and I were each taking the wheel one hour on and one hour off. We had hoped to anchor at our old friend Rocky Island, but the wind was too far northeast for that, so we pressed on.

What was amazing is the wind and waves didn’t diminish with the coming of night (which they usually do). Our next anchorage was Raspberry on the West Side. By this time it was near midnight. There was already someone in the bay, and since it was pretty dark, we decided to try another location. Marina shoal, the next location, was too exposed to the east. This left Sand Island’s Lighthouse Bay. It would be a rough night as the surge was coming round the lighthouse throughout the night. We dropped anchor at 2:00 a.m., took some Dramamine against the surge and went to bed.

Monday, July 10th – We weighed anchor at around 10:00 and headed back to the marina. We motor-sailed across with excellent eastern winds arriving at the marina around 2:00/2:30 in the afternoon. There we found an expectedly empty marina as well as little rubber duckies, dressed as pirated with notes that they missed us! How cool is that!